Detection device



JUNG/1939 P. F. WENDEL 2,161,327

l DETECTION DEVICE Filed'Maron 21, 1938 INVENTOR @fFh/eQ/e/ m i ATTORNEY Patented June 6, 1939 yUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DETECTION DEVICE Peter F. Wendel, Irvington, N. J.

Application March 21, 1938, Serial No. 197,079

2 Claims.

This invention relatesto a detecting device for use on motor cars (automobiles) for the pur pose of identifying drivers who immediately leave the scene of an accident, which they caused, said 5. drivers being commonly known as hit-and-run drivers.

In this age of the powerful high speed cars, pedestrians are constantly becoming the victims of negligent drivers who do not keep their 1Q cars under complete control. When driving over our modern highways or even the improved country roads at night the carelessl driver who travels 50 miles an hour or over, sweeps upon the occasional unwary pedestrian and strikes him 1lit down. The careless driver also is usually the hit-and-run type of driver, that is, the type who never returns tol help the injured person, but rushes madly on inthe hope that his identity Will never be revealed. j

The object of this invention is to provide a detecting device on some portion of the car structure, which, when any collision occurs, will release a tag or token containing the license number or other identifying data.

When therefore, a collision occurs the driver, having a detecting device on his car, will be aware of the fact that eventhough there may be no Witnesses at the scene of the accident, the videntifying token will be lying somewhere within the vicinity of the crime and within the reach of the searching eyes of the detective force who will soon find it and mark him asI the guilty offender.

By means of such a detecting device the averagecareless driver will realize the responsibility of the man behind the wheel, particularly when he knows that if a collision should occur there will be circumstantial evidence against him. This invention therefore, will be an important factor in the protection of the lives of the public in general, `and ought to materially reduce the maiming and killing of persons by careless drivers.

The principle upon which the invention is based, is to provide means whereby a token having identifying data thereon is released or ejected into space when a collision occurs.

To perform this result, means is provided whereby a token is concealed within a fragile housing or closure and the device is sealed to some convenient portion of the car structure,

such as a fender for example, the said sealing of the device being effected by a duly authorized agent. The fragile portion of the device will be of such substance which will be readily broken when an impact of reasonable force occurs, thus freeing the token contained within it.

In the following specification and drawing a preferred form of the invention is described and illustrated by way of example, wherein:

Fig. 1 isy a vertical sectional view through one form of the device showing the device attached 5 and sealed to a portion of the structure of a car;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modified form of a detecting device attached to a portion of the structure of a car; and 10 Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, the device shown comprises a housing or closure which includes a base member or plug I0 and a cap I2 having one end inserted within a suitable annular groove 15 II and a closed dome portion exposed above said plug. Said cap I2 is preferably composed of some fragile substance such as glass or the like.

Within the closure is a token I3, which may be of any convenient form but as shown comprises a disc like member, and has stamped thereon, fcertain identifying data such as indicated in Fig. 2, which includes the license number of the car. 'A recess I 4 provided within the base portion I0 provides a suitable receptacle for a compression spring I5, which spring may be used to exert a constant pressure between the token I3 and the base I0, whereby, when breakage of the'l fragile member occurs, the token will be ejected into space. This will assure the movement of the token a distance beyond the car to thereby prevent the same from being caught on some portion of the moving car.

The base IIJ may also be provided with threads 35 I6 whereby it may be screwed into a supporting ring II, fixed to the underside of a fender IB, or other rigid portion of the car, there being an opening I9 provided in the fender to receive said base portion. 40

It will be seen that the entire detecting device comprises a small compact unit, which unit can easily be secured in place by an authorized agent, and if a unit should become damaged by means other than collision, and the token ejected, 45 the said agent upon proper explanation for the damage, may replace it with another unit.

By means of suitable lugs 20-20 projecting below the base Ill and ring I'I, a seal 2| may be applied by the agent to thereby prevent the re- 50 moval by non-authorized persons.

Since each token will have a different number, it will be necessary to stamp the numbers or other identifying data on the face of the new token and provide for the sealing of the cap I2 within the 55 recess I I after the token and spring are enclosed within it. To ensure a satisfactory seal, the fragile cap I2 may be provided with a flange 22, and the recess I I may be filled with any suitable sealing compound as indicated at S, to retain the cap therein.

In the above described form the token is maintained in a substantially stationary position and will not be released until breakage of the fragile cap I2 occurs through force created by a collision of the car with some object.

In the modified form of device illustrated in Fig. 3, the token is adapted to move freely within the supporting housing and when said token is suddenly caused to rebound within said housing by collision of the car, the said token will break the fragile portion of the housingand free itself.v

Referring to Fig. 3, said modified devicecorri` prises a housing 30, of preferably fragile material, and hasone open end and one closed end, also a cap 3l fitted and preferably sealed over the open end.

Said housing may be fixed to a part of the car structure in any suitable manner, as for example by screwing a projecting screw portion 32 of said cap into a ring 33 fixed to the structure I8a, in a manner similar to the-device of Fig. l. A seal may also be provided as'shown at 34, there being suitable lugs 35-35 on both the screw portion 32 and ring 33 respectively.

Within the housing 30, a token 36 is positioned, said token being of a shape which is adapted to move freely within the housing 33, and may be pointed at one end to provide a sharp protrusion 3'I.

When said device is mounted longitudinally of the car the token 36 will move toward the cap portion 3| while the car is in motion and when the car is suddenly stopped, the momentum of the car will drive said token in an opposite direction. If the driving force is sufficient, such as when a collision occurs, the said token will be driven against the fragile end of the housing with suicient impact to cause the pointed end of the token to break the fragile housing, and be ejected under its own force into space.

It will be understood that other modifications of construction and other methods of mounting the devices may be made within the scope of the 'following claims, and that the devices disclosed .are for the purpose of illustration only to indicate the principle of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a detecting device for identifying hit and run drivers, rigid support means comprising a part of an automobile structure, a closure carried by said support means including a fragile portion, a token bearing identifying data positioned within said closure, and means urging said token against the fragile portion of said closure, whereby, if breakage of .the closure should occur during collision, the token will be ejected by the force of said urging means.

2. In a detecting device for identifying hit and run drivers, rigid support means comprising a part of an automobile structure, a closure carried by said support means including a fragile portion, a token bearing identifying` data positioned within said closure, and a compression spring normally bearing against the token and urging same against the fragile portion of said closure, whereby breakage of the closure will cause the token to be ejected under pressure to a location remote from the car.

PETER F. WENDEL. 

